Four British clubs will discover their route through this season's Europa League when the league phase draw is conducted from midday on Friday, 28 August, with proceedings expected to get under way shortly after.
Bournemouth and Sunderland have both earned continental football through their Premier League finishes last term, ending the campaign in sixth and seventh place respectively. The occasion marks uncharted territory for Bournemouth, who will play in Europe for the first time in the club's history, while Sunderland return to continental competition for the first time since the 1973-74 season.
Crystal Palace complete the trio of Premier League representatives, qualifying automatically as holders of the Conference League after their triumph last season under Oliver Glasner. The Eagles have since appointed Pierre Sage as head coach, and he will now oversee their bid to make an impact in Europe's second-tier competition.
Celtic make up the quartet of British sides in the draw, arriving in the Europa League after a bruising exit from Champions League qualification. The Scottish champions surrendered a four-goal aggregate lead against LASK in Austria, with Callum McGregor's early strike in the second leg appearing to put them in command before a dramatic collapse saw them eliminated.
Reflecting on the defeat, captain McGregor did not shy away from criticism of his side's performance. "We got what we deserved," he told Amazon Prime. "I thought we were so passive. All night. We actually looked scared to go and win the game, and when you are 3-0 up it's psychological. To be honest I didn't think we were that good in the first leg either. We scored at good times and kind of got away with it. You go 3-0 and you think you've got a real chance but when you play like that you can't have any excuse whatsoever."
The 36-team league phase draw will pit each side against eight different opponents, two from each of four pots, with four matches at home and four away. Bournemouth, Sunderland and Crystal Palace have all been placed in Pot 3 alongside Sturm Graz, Lech Poznan, Celje, Jagiellonia Bialystok, Omonia Nicosia and Celta Vigo, meaning none of the three English clubs can be paired against one another.
Celtic occupy Pot 2, joining the likes of Ferencvaros, Viktoria Plzen, Union SG, Dinamo Zagreb, Salzburg, Sparta Praha, Rennes and Anderlecht.
Among the standout names the British clubs could face are Pot 1 heavyweights Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, AC Milan, Benfica, AZ Alkmaar, Lyon, Olympiacos, Marseille and Real Sociedad, offering the prospect of glamour fixtures against some of Europe's most storied clubs. Pot 4 features Hoffenheim, Besiktas, Torreense, Hapoel Be'er Sheva, NEC Nijmegen, OFI Crete, Lillestrom, Levski Sofia and Ararat-Armenia.
The league phase itself will be played out over eight matchdays, beginning on 16-17 September and running through to 28 January 2027, with matchdays scheduled for 15 October, 22 October, 5 November, 26 November, 10 December and 21 January in between.
With Aston Villa having lifted the trophy last season, English interest in the competition remains high, and Bournemouth, Sunderland and Crystal Palace will all be hoping the draw offers a kind path as they attempt to make history for their respective clubs. Celtic, meanwhile, will be eager to make amends for their Champions League heartbreak by making a strong impression on the Europa League stage.
The draw ceremony will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max in the United Kingdom, giving fans the chance to see exactly who their clubs will face in the coming months of European football.
Based on reporting from The Independent and Standard Sport.